


Anthropologist's Report: On Autobots and Anthropologists

by dragonofdispair



Series: Roads [12]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-01
Updated: 2008-05-01
Packaged: 2018-02-26 18:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2661794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonofdispair/pseuds/dragonofdispair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paperwork...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anthropologist's Report: On Autobots and Anthropologists

As you requested in your letter, I am first addressing the issue were concerned about when I was "hired". You were right. The closest profession to anthropology among the... um, subject culture is that of a spy -- the one named Bumblebee and the the deceased Jazz in this specific group. The need to blend into their enemies' -- the Decepticon's -- culture makes each spy into an anthropologist of sorts. Though those missions were assigned to the other, Jazz, more often than Bumblebee, it remains true. The mindset of studying a different culture was useful when they left their home...planet and started interacting with cultures other than their own and their enemies'. Frankly the spies were better at it, so studying those cultures and figuring out how to blend in became part of a spy's duties. Then when they started interacting with those culture and not just hiding within them, they were the logical choice for ambassadors because they knew what would and wouldn't offend. So information gathering, sabotage, assassination, anthropology and ambassadorial duties all fall under the umbrella of 'covert ops'.

That said -- Offense isn't taken for several reasons. One is that they have allied themselves to humans and it's natural to them that a spy takes an ambassadorial position. Another is that they know that among humans the jobs of spy, anthropologist, and ambassador are all different. They are trying very hard to adapt themselves to our culture and know that's their way is not ours. Even so, there are times that they clearly view me as a spy. It makes them cautious about what they say to me and watch me constantly -- after all, just because I'm an anthropologist doesn't mean I'm not part of covert ops, which leads erringly (and they know it's an error, even if they can't always stop themselves from thinking it) to the idea that I'm as much an information gatherer, a saboteur and assassin as I am an anthropologist.

  
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